Old Habits
by lover-of-inuyasha
Summary: Re-done! When Ryoko sees a visitor of old times, she mush visit a place from 10 years past.
1. You can't be

Disclaimer- I don't own the characters, get over it. And I have altered the story. So, enjoy!

Ryoko quickly grabbed two bagged lunches and threw them near the door to her kids. "Have fun at school kids!"

"We will mom!" they shouted over the honking of the bus. She soon flopped into a lounge chair, and sighed heavily. She picked her head and looked across the table.

Ryoko has just started a new job, a new member of the family, a new life. Ever since she and Tenchi had that fight 10 years ago, things had been different. She was heart-broken, and looking for a new life, then she found Josh, and he was the best. Josh was an American looking for a life in the city, and his job soon led him to Tokyo, where he met Ryoko only 8 years ago. She and Josh have started a new life and have 3 beautiful children, and life is wonderful, for now.

Josh waltzed down the stairs in a tall black suit and a navy blue briefcase. He wooshed his wife on the chair and started to dance with her in the middle of the kitchen. "Wow, someone is in a good mood this morning." Ryoko said started to giggle slightly.

"Well, having all my paperwork finished, why wouldn't I be?" he said with a low chuckle. Ryoko then pulled herself away from her husband. "Well, do I smell a promotion?"

"Maybe by sweet, maybe," josh replied, then looked at his watch, "well sorry, but I got to go hun." Josh gave his sweet a kiss goodbye and rushed out the door. Ryoko felt all light and bubbly inside, and started to clean up the house, humming a song from a long time ago, soon interrupted by a knock on the door.

She looked at the door as if it were to open by it self, then skipped to the door herself. She opened a smidge at first, then swung it open all the way. 'Excuse, are you Mrs. Ryoko Finer?" a muffled voice said under a hat.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Ryoko replied in a crude voice.

"Well I am child social-services, and I have come to collect Maya Finer." Said the social-worker as she picked up her head and looked straight into her eyes. Ryoko instantly collapsed, not just from the news, but from who it cam from.

Author-HA! First cliff-hanger. But I would REALLY like any type of reviews, questions, comments, ideas, anything!!! Thank you if you took the time to read this.


	2. Fears dont go away

Chapter 2: New and Old wonders

Ryoko awoke with a large headache and a sore hip. "Ouch. What just happened?" She asked rubbing a lump on her head. She looked around the room to assess the situation. She was laid down upon her green couch, and she looked across the room to see the social-service worker.

"Miss, are you okay? You took a pretty hard fall." A tall woman with two low, blue pigtails said in a worried voice. She was dressed in a fine blue blazer with a matching skirt on top of a white-striped shirt. She held a clipboard in her hands and looked at Ryoko with a sweet look in her eyes. Ryoko thought she was seeing things, for the woman looked exactly like Sasami, only know she looked like Tsunami. But it couldn't be. Life had changed from back then. Ayeka had returned to Jurai, Washuu was working away somewhere in Russia, and Tenchi, well, Tenchi was old history, and it was all too much for Ryoko to bear, so she changed the most. She led her life away from the peaceful country, and into the beat-up alleys of the city. But now her mind was flooding with memories of good times, of good food and fun, of Tenchi. She quickly got up from her couch, grabbed her coat, and walked out the door.

"Miss! Miss! Excuse me! Wait!" The woman yelled behind her trying to catch up desperately, but Ryoko couldn't waste any time, and flew to the house of the Masaki's.

She landed on one foot, then balanced her weight equally between her feet. Her heart started to race at amazing speeds, and thoughts and feelings pulsed through her body. She stepped a few steps, and noticed the broom lying on the ground to the entrance. Ryoko took a deep-breath, and quickly hopped to the door. She breathed again. It had been years since she had even thought about the Masaki house and memories, let alone walk on the soil. But she couldn't let her fears stop her anymore. She knocked on the door abruptly and stood on the porch and paced back and forth slowly. She heard the footsteps of someone coming to the door, and she stopped dead. The door slid opened and there stood...

Author- HAHHA! Cliffhanger. Well, once again, reviews are greatly appreciated. I will try to update ASAP depending on the reviews. Thanks!


	3. A Fate Unfound

Chapter 3: A fate unfound

The door slid open and there stood Tenchi's father, Mr. Masaki. Ryoko took one look at him and couldn't even fathom that this could be the same person at all. His glasses had grown bigger, his frame had shrunk, and his hearing aid was hid under his gray hair. This couldn't be the same man that loved to drink and enjoyed the women in his company.

"Yes, can I help you?" he muttered while leaning against the door frame. Ryoko could not answer. She was stunned and shocked. _Why are you here? Here, of all places? This life is over, you know it is, you just leave right now and say it was a misunderstanding. Yeah, that's what I'll do._ She had made up her mind, and there was no turning back. She turned her back and started to walk back to her car when she heard a voice..

"Wait! Don't I know you?" Mr. Masaki took at good, long look at Ryoko at she stood there motionless. Then it hit him. "R…Ry…Ryoko? Is that you there? Why I barely recognized you the moment I saw, but I see it now." _Great, he remembers me, now I'm in dip shit._ She thought to herself as she turned around to face the house where she once resided. "Well, don't just stand there, come in!" he perked. There was no way out. She had to go in.

The house had changed since she last saw it. The walls had been painted a deep red, the leather furniture had been changed for white cotton, new carpeting, and a young woman dressed in a common manner bustled in the kitchen. Ryoko gave an odd look to Mr. Masaki baffled by the young woman, but of course, he had a reasonable reply. "The doctor ordered that I have a nurse stay and help me for a few weeks while I heal from my hip injury."

Ryoko understood. She saw the limp in him when he walked in, but decided not to bother with it. But how did he get it? "Excuse me, but how did you hurt your hip?" He either didn't hear, or shrugged it off, but Ryoko got the message.

"Please, stay for lunch, Myouki has prepared enough for four people and I'm sure…" But he was cut off before he could finish noticing Ryoko was much more interested in something else. A picture, of the three Tenchi men, at a wedding apparently. But whose, she wondered. "I see you found the picture of the wedding we went to. That was a wonderful day. It was like…"

"Where is Tenchi? I need to speak to him." Ryoko asked sternly, not even lifting her head from the picture.

"He has left. He remained in Tokyo for a computer job or something. I haven't been in touch with him in years. Why do you need to know?"

"I need to see him. Thank you for your time, but I must go." Ryoko bowed to the senior Masaki and dashed out the door. She had to find him. She didn't know why, she didn't know how, but she had to. For some reason, Sasami was at her door, and she felt that he was connected in some way. And why was she there? What had she done wrong? Nothing was going right today.

"Aw, Miss Ryoko, I'm glad you returned. I need to discuss some things with you, about your daughter Maya." Ryoko looked at the older Sasami and ushered in. Typically, she prepared tea for the two of them, brought out crackers, and sat down for a "nice" little talk. But she was in for much more than that.

"Oh thank you. Now, you have 3 children correct? Could you tell me their names?"

Ryoko didn't want to answer anything, only wanted to listen, but she had to. "The youngest, Sammy, 12, Maya, 14, and my oldest, Nagasel, 21, has just started college." She nervously picked up her tea and took up sip. She felt as if she was playing a game of chess with the top player in the world, and while the player is going easy, she was trying to stay in the game as long as she could. She awaited the next move.

"Alright. Thank you. Now, Maya, 14, has been facing some, well, issues as school that have been reported to us. Have you been aware of these? No, well, apparently she has been facing signs of depression and sudden outbursts of violence. But very, very dangerous outbursts."

"What kinds of violence?" One of her knights had just been taken out along with 4 pawns.

"Well, with knives and other harmful objects. The teachers are worried about her, and the effect on the children and their parents. Do you see what I am getting at?"

Of course she understood, she didn't want to but she did. Her bishop had been taken out. "Yes. And what about the depression?"

"Aw, yes, that. Well, the teachers have seen scars on her wrist, from cutting they presume. She hasn't been doing her work, grades are down, attitude is failing, she won't eat sometimes, and…."

"Ok! I understand. I under….I understand," she tried to reply, but her world around had come crashing down around her, and a tear drop rolled down her face, "what are you going to do about it?"

"Unfortunately, we believe the problems have started at home, so I am afraid to say, but, when you daughter returns home, she will pack her belongings, and be taken with us. I'm terribly sorry."

Ryoko couldn't believe what was happening. No, it wasn't happening, it couldn't be. This could not be real, at all! It was all some hoax, it had to be. But it wasn't and this was happening.

Check, and checkmate.

Author- I AM SOOOO SORRRY! I haven't written, in like, a year! But thank you for you reviews. They are appreciated. I'll keep working if you keep replying! Thanks again!


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